Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a man of many talents, and he demonstrated them exceedingly well in Don Jon(2013) as director, writer, and actor. It’s a hat trick I was initially wary of regardless of my admiration for his work in both 50/50 (2011) and Inception (2010)–not from any doubts in what the man can do, but from this movie’s subject matter.

Don Jon is a 90-minute film that definitely earns its R rating from the get-go. Lots of cussing, lots of pornography. No, not X-rated, people, (whoa there slow down) but the viewer cannot doubt what’s going on if they’ve eyes and ears. The story focuses on a young man named Jon, who’s famed among his friends as “the Don,” for his ability to seduce the sexiest girls every night. And yet his activities cannot touch the feelings he receives from porn.

Well, enter Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), a voluptuous New Jersey vixen (and damn, hearing that accent from both actors was so odd), who snares Jon’s senses and demands that he gives up his internet fixations. See? On the surface, the movie sounds none too special, and prone to cliches. Fortunately, Gordon-Levitt excels at pulling you in with witty charm, snap-fast story-telling, and genuine emotion. He explores addiction and that pesky human tendency to deny its existence to our own detriment.

Don’t worry, though. All this sounds like a basis for heavy drama, but Don Jon is told with so many quick cuts and satirical musical stereotypes that you can’t help but be entertained.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Nintendo and Netflix are collaborating on a potential live-action Legend of Zelda TV series. It’s basically just a rumor at this point, but my two cents? Excuuuuuuse me, Princess, but this has got to happen!

[UPDATE] Turns out, this was just a rumor. Apparently Netflix and Nintendo are NOT working on a Legend of Zelda series . . . or are they?

Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo, told Time magazine that “As of now, I have nothing new to share with you in regard to the use of our IPs for any TV shows or films, but I can at least confirm that the article in question is not based on correct information.” [Source: GameSpot]

Not an admission, but definitely not a denial either. Only time will tell!

Today, I am embarking on a journey of indeterminable length. A journey of greatgood average importance to my overall television and movie consumption. I dub it “Alphabet Cinema.”

What is it? A dual attempt at expanding my TV/movie viewing pool and catching up on recommended shows, a.k.a. a semi-ambitious project for my days off a.k.a. becoming more eccentric than I already am a.k.a. I needed a hobby and a goal; this is it.

I expected a somber documentary-style film about a contemplative cellist-turned-mortician, a cerebral movie intended to question and disturb. When the very first scene elicited a burst of surprised laughter, I knew I was screwed. The next 125 minutes were going to impact me more than I had prepared.

Such was the skill of director Youjirou Takita (When the Last Sword Is Drawn) in provoking and guiding one’s emotions in the 2009 Academy Award-winning Japanese film Departures, originally titled Okuribito. Takita, along with an A+ cast, take the viewer into one of Japan’s taboo professions: a nokanshi, which translates into an embalmer of sorts, or an “encoffiner,” not a mortician (a.k.a. funeral director), as I had previously believed. Continue reading Departures Review: Your Last Ceremony→

Looks like Netflix finally came to its senses and added more episodes of Pokemon: Indigo League, and Digimon: Digital Monsters. I’m positively electrified (ha!) by the news. That’s right, you can now relive your childhood by wasting away countless hours watching two of the best shows ever made of the best shows ever made (not a mistake). Nostalgia, you are one sexy beast.

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